Yes, I do!!! I also have a big one in the bedroom! It is truly a blessing to have a place with so much natural light. My friend from MN and her husband really like the complex and neighborhood and they were amazed how close I am to my work

mrj wrote:Congratulations, Sweetbasil! Your mini-week must have been very exciting for you. I'm sure living 'out of a suitcase' till you get your things moved to SF is a bit of a hassle, but think of the relief when you have your own stuff around you!

Of course, prayers will continue for you to easily settle into this new job and home. Western SD has had beautiful weather and it looks like a nice fall season, so hope your area is getting the same. Life just seems so blessed when weather is at least neutral, without extremes. We can look at the awful fires in the west and KNOW how blessed we are.

Recuperation for me seems to be going fine, with exception of abrasive pain from the cast on my foot. It is still severnteen days till next visit to doc to a a walking cast. By Monday, I will decide if I need to have the abrasions checked, hopefully locally. Hard to decide if I'm just being a wimp, or the pain needs to be checked out, so hope you can spare some prayers for that issue.

Fall work on the ranch will get into high(er!) gear on Monday when we start fall vaccinations. Haying is officially finished. I know that because the equipment has been washed!!! We had a first ever second cutting of alfalfa. That, of course, is very rare on this ranch, normally getting about 16 inches of moisture in a good year. We have had well over 20 inches since first week of May, and the season isn't over yet! It still is beautifully green, and we can see LOTS of seeds on the most beneficial grasses on the ranch, plus our 'favorites', the big and little bluestems. I can see the reason for the 'bluestem' name, as the stems really do have quite a blue hue. However, the 'other' name, 'redgrass' is evident in the deepening of the red tones of the leaves even this early in fall. And, if we get some wet weather, it intensifies even more. Unfortunately, there is too much 'yellow' color.....blossoms of the rosin weed. But, it's easier to tolerate that when there is so much grass.

We will have some fun this week-end. We are taking some saddles made by E. C. Lee, an 'old time' saddle maker, to a western week-end of music and such at Ft. Pierre. One was owned by each of Shorty's grandfathers, and another was ridden by my mother, if it's the one I think it is. On Sunday, we are going to the 1902 Cowboys memorial meeting in Rapid City and probably taking the same, or some other old saddles to that and sharing some memories of our grandfathers' and others from this area who participated in the last roundups of cattle off the open range in western SD. Hopefully, we will even spend a little time with our son and his family, including our two youngest grand daughters who live there. School keeps kids unbelievably busy anymore, so is hard to find time to see them.

Have a great week-end, and re-charge your 'batteries' for next work week!

mrj

Hello MRJ, Happy Monday! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend. Thank you for the prayers; I will be getting my feet truly wet this week, so I am nervous and excited all at the time Tons to learn and I am looking forward to being in these meetings, so I can start asking questions and connecting the dots. So far, I am passing the training modules, so I must be learning something. The weather in SD is gorgeous! It feels like fall You are always in my prayers and I am going to be thinking of you. I will also remember you when I call the Prayer line tomorrow, so that they will uplift you in prayer as well.

Traveler wrote:I'm sure you will be a great asset to them, and vice versa. Don't forget that coffee is full of antioxidants and other health benefits, if you don't mind it. Big difference in brands, imo.

Hello "Traveler", Thank you for the kind words. I am going to be in meetings this week and my manager is flying in from MT. We will go live on early next month so there is a lot to do. I can't wait to see what I learn this week and to participate in the meetings and start connecting the dots to what is currently happening. It is truly a blessing to have a job and to be working for this company. They treat me like a true professional and they are good people. I am not a coffee drinker, it makes me sick. I did managed to get a lemon and ginger flavor tea. I am looking forward to getting high on tea tomorrow